by Jason Stotts
As a special Valentine’s Day present, the Illinois Senate today passed a bill to make same-sex marriage legal in Illinois:
Under the measure, marriage officially would be changed in state law from an act between a man and a woman to two people. The legislation explicitly says nothing in the proposed law would force a religious denomination or minster to “solemnize any marriage.” People in civil unions would be able to convert them to gay marriages within a year of a same-sex marriage law going on the books in Illinois. (link)
The bill will now go to the Illinois House and then, if passed, to the Governor. Still, I applaud the Illinois Senate and hope the fight for human rights goes well in the Illinois House. Not that I’m too optimistic about that terrible state, since they don’t even respect an individual’s right for self-defense.